New Classifiers

[56hawk]

Are there any rule, policy or guideline changes for new classifiers? This has come up on a few threads lately with no answers I could see. We just got rid of all classifiers that aren't 6 shot neutral, but what does that mean for future classifiers? Will they all be 6 shot neutral, or will they just have the high hit factor set by 8 shot guns?

[JakeMartens]

According to the current rules No

and based on the current rules all the stages that were removed are still legal

1.2 Types of Courses

USPSA matches may contain the following types of courses of fire:

1.2.1 General Courses of Fire:

1.2.1.1 Short Courses: must not require more than 12 rounds to com-plete and no more than 2 shooting locations. Course design and construction must not require more than 8 scoring hits from any single location or view, nor allow a competitor to shoot all targets in the course of fire from any single location or view.

1.2.1.2 Medium Courses: must not require more than 20 rounds to complete and no more than 3 shooting locations. Course design and construction must not require more than 8 scoring hits from any single location or view, nor allow a competitor to shoot all targets in the course of fire from any single location or view.

1.2.1.3 Long Courses: in Level III or higher matches must not require more than 32 rounds to complete. At any level match, course design and construction must not require more than 8 scoring hits from any single location or view, nor allow a competitor to shoot all targets in the course of fire from any single location or view.

See the glossary, Appendix A3, for the definition of location and view.

6 USPSA Handgun Rules, February 2014 Edition

1.2.2 Special Courses of Fire:

1.2.2.1 Standard Exercises - Courses of fire consisting of two or more separately timed component strings. Scores, with any penalties deducted, are accumulated on completion of the course of fire to produce the final stage results. Standard Exercises must only be scored using Virginia Count or Fixed Time. The course of fire for each component string may require a specific shooting position, procedure and/or one or more mandatory reloads. Standard Exercises must not require more than 24 rounds to complete. Component strings must not require more than 6 rounds (12 rounds if a mandatory reload is specified).

1.2.2.2 Classifiers – Courses of fire published by USPSA, which are available to competitors seeking a National classification. Classifiers must be set-up in accordance with these rules and be conducted strictly in accordance with the notes and diagrams accompanying them. Results must be submitted to the publishing entity in the format required (with the applicable fees, if any), in order to be recognized.

1.2.2.3 Speed Shoot-Courses of fire consisting of one continuous string of fire not exceeding 16 rounds shot on one or more arrays of multiple targets from a single location or view. The written stage briefing may specify engaging arrays of targets without violating rule (1.1.5), as long as the competitor is allowed to engage said arrays in any order, and individual target engagement is not specified. No more than eight rounds may be required without a mandatory reload and no more than one mandatory reload may be required in the course of fire. Weak/Strong hand may be stipulated after the reload is complete. Stage may be scored either Comstock or Virginia Count. See Rule 9.2.3.2.

[pskys2]

I'm sure all future Classifiers will be 6 shots then reload, or have movement involved with only 6 shots from a position being necessary. With the advent of SS they pared classifiers down to maximum of 8, even though minor in SS could load 10. USPSA has also eliminated classifiers due to competitors "Gaming" them, utilizing short cuts or holes in the stage description/set up to gain advantage, thereby skewing the Percentages.

Courses must be submitted to, and approved by, USPSA/NROI to become Classifiers. They usually have come from Area or National Events and that pretty much tests them for defects. Even then some with issues always occasionally slip through. Just submitting a course, or running it at a large match doesn't guarantee it will become a Classifier. I'm sure NROI has issues they look at internally that aren't commonly thought of by us simple competitors.

Remember Classifiers are a test of basic shooting skill and fundamentals. They are deliberately set up to avoid testing course breakdown skills. It is only a natural progression which has been happening for many years.

Edited February 9, 2014 by pskys2